Epidemiological patterns of scoliosis in a spinal unit in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: To study the patterns of scoliosis seen in a major Spinal Unit in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: Medical records of 192 Saudi patients with scoliosis seen between 1992 and 1997 at the Spinal Unit of the Riyadh Medical Complex (which is a major spinal unit in the Kingdom) were studied and analyzed and epidemiological data was collected.

RESULTS: Fifty nine percent of all cases of scoliosis were idiopathic, 7% were secondary to poliomyelitis and 17% were congenital scoliosis. The mean age of discovery of idiopathic scoliosis was 12.5 years and at presentation was 16 years. The mean Cobb’s angle at presentation was 58o. Adolescent type constituted 74% of idiopathic curves with a male to female ratio of 1:3.8. Thoracic curves were the most common followed by the double major curves. Half of the curves were right sided. Infantile idiopathic scoliosis constituted 8% with male to female ratio of 4:1 and here left thoracic curves formed 50%. The juvenile type constituted the remaining 18% with male to female ratio of 1:1.5.

CONCLUSION: The pattern of scoliosis in our study is comparable in many aspects with other studies carried out elsewhere, with the exception of delay in patients age at referral. We believe that our data could reflect a possible pattern of the epidemiology of scoliosis in Saudi Arabia, given the fact that there is no National Registry. To avoid delay in management, community education will help in the early detection of cases.